New Community Corrections Director
More than 500 people are participating in Tippecanoe County’s Community Corrections programs. The new Director, Dave Heath, is making some changes.
With the economy, Dave Heath, said he’s had to relax a requirement that participants find work within a certain time frame. At the same, Heath said he has to enforce collections of a $100 fee from program participants.
“That is so they basically don’t get into a hole. If somebody comes in here on work release and they don’t have a job, and they are going to go out everyday and look for a job, if they haven’t paid anything, they already started at a deficit,” said Heath.
Dave Heath said correction programs which include house arrest, work release, day reporting and road crew are financed by those fees. But, the department has racked up more than $2.5 million in unpaid fees over the past 10 years.
“$1.8 million has been turned over to collections. The collection agency is actively trying to collect those and the balance of that we have not turned over to collections yet. We are trying to collect it ourselves,” said Heath.
Heath said some family members pay the fees for participants who can’t afford them. James Fisher is on work release and said his steady job allows him to cover the cost.
“This program is great. It really is. I don’t even know where to begin when I tell you about it. The staff is just wonderful. They go out of their way to help out, get you started on the things you need to get started on, especially substance abuse programs,” said Fisher.
Fisher said thanks to the program his life is back on track. Unlike Fisher, Heath said many people in work release are struggling to find jobs.
“The policy in years past was you need to find a job in 2 weeks or 30 days whatever it may be. Well, realistically, that may not be enough time now because of the tough job market out there. We haven’t enforced that because it’s just going to take longer to find jobs,” said Heath.
Heath said about 30% of those on work release are currently unemployed.
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